Internal combustion engine



March 10; 1936. D 2,033,128

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed March 7, 1934 5 Sheets-Sheet l.

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@ra ZZZ dds fl/ Uomey Inventor March 10, 1936. L EDDS' 2,033,128

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE- Filed March 7, 1954 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 nvenior Zia d5" March 10, 1936. B. EDDS INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed March 7, 1954 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 4f is Inventor flllorney 4 m if arch 10, 1936. B s I 2,033,128

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed March 7, 1934 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Inventor INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed March '7, 1934 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Invenior v tlorney Patented Mar. 10, 1936 UNITED STATES PATET ()FFICE Claims.

This inventionappertains to new and useful improvements inengines of the internal combustion type, and more particularly to engines of the four cycle variety.

5 An important object of the invention is to provide valve means wherein the intake and exhaustvalve elementsare mounted in a unified assembly and are operative in such a manner astofortify against the loss of compression and power.

Another object is to provide a valve assembly wherein the'intake and exhaust valve elements are associated for operation in such a manner asto'- eliminate quite a few of the working parts now found in the poppet types of valves now generally employed, to the end that the novel valve assembly can be manufactured at lower cost.

Still another important object of the invention is' to improve the four-cycle engine by providing a single valve assembly per cylinder which will handle all the-cylinder pressures more eificiently than the poppet types of valves now utilized.

A further object of the invention is to provide a four-cycle engine wherein the various cycles ofoperation are handled by a single valve assemmy percylinder, to the end that the engine can be' made lighter in construction and thus especially qualify-for aircraft use.

These and various other important objects and advantagesof the invention will become apparent to the reader of the following specification.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 represents a rear elevational view of the improved. engine.

Figure 2 represents a fragmentary enlarged verticalsectional view taken substantially on line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 represents a vertical transverse sectional view taken substantially on line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 represents a cross sectional view taken substantially on line 44 of Figure 2.

Figure 5- represents a sectional view taken substantially on line 5-5 of Figure 2'.

Eigur'e 6 represents a diagrammatic view of the gear arrangement.

- Figure? represents a side elevational view of the: piston or partition element of the valve assembly.

Figure Brepresentsa fragmentary perspective view'of the sleeve driving tube of the valve as- 55 sembly drive means.

Figure 9 represents a sectional view through one of the rockers.

Figure 10 represents a fragmentary perspective view of one of the valve piston operating rods.

Figure 11 represents a side elevational view of a cylinders-in-line type of four-cycle internal combustion engine with the present'invention installed.

Figure 12 represents a fragmentary detailed sectional view of the valve drive shaft, showing 0' the rocker and associated parts in elevation.

Referring to'the drawings wherein like numerals designate like parts, it can be seen that in Figures 1 to 10 inclusive, the preferred embodiment of the present invention is illustrated. 15 Numeral 5-denotes the engine crank case casting from which extend the cylinders 6, the same being each provided-with the cooling fin-equipped jacket 1 merging with a cylinder head 8 provided with the usual spark plug opening 9. 20

Each of the head constructions 8 is provided with a laterally disposed protrusion l0 having a bore ll extending therethrough on a line parallel to the bore of the corresponding cylinder. A valve liner of tubular shape is denoted by numer- 5 al l2 and snugly fits in this bore H, the upper portion of the liner extending above the protrusion Ill being provided with circumferentially extending heat dissipating fins [3. The opposite end of the liner I2 is provided with threads and 30 this threaded portion has a nut or internally threaded collar I 4 thereon which can be fed against the protrusion H] for firmly retaining the liner in place;

.The inside of the protruding construction In 35 is hollow and communicates by way of the port IS with the firing chamber of the corresponding cylinder, the space within the construction l0 extending entirely around the liner l2 so as to provide a passageway entirely around the liner 4.0 to afford ample space to accommodate the induction of fuel or the escape of burnt gases.

The reference character a represents the rear portion of the crank case 5 and this houses the timing and drive means for the valve elements, one of which is a packing ring-equipped sleeve 16 slidable in the liner l2, with a piston-like partition I! likewise equipped with packing rings, slidable inside of the sleeve I6. A suitable spider or cross member l8 in the lower portion of the valve sleeve l6 has the outer threaded end portion of the drive tube l9 disposed therethrough and provided with jamb nuts 20 for firmly conmeeting the drive tube to the sleeve, while an elongated rod 2 I with itsouter end threaded into the piston partition I1 is slidably disposed through this tube I9 and extends beyond the inner end of the tube at its opposite end.

For each of the valve assemblies, the portion a of the crank case is provided with an opening 22 which is rabbeted to provide a shoulder against which the inner end of the tubular conduit 23 can seat. The outer end of this conduit 23 is provided with a socket formation 24 to receive the inner end of the liner I2. Thus it can be seen that when the liner is properly seated in the socket 24 after the conduit 23 has been properly seated against the shoulder at the opening 22, the engagement of the nut 4 snugly against the inner side of the corresponding protrusion II] will fix all of these parts in proper fluid-tight connection.

Inside of the portion a of the crank case 5 is a circumferentially extending wall 25 extending inwardly from the peripheral portion of the crank case, while interposed between this wall 25 and the rear wall 28 of the crank case is a circular partition extending circumferentially in the portion a of the crank case, substantially concentric with the peripheral portion of the crank case portion a and this partition is denoted by numeral 21, the same being suitably spaced from the periphery of the crank case to provide a fuel induction manifold passageway 28 which has its inlet at 29.

Referring now to Figure 2, it can be seen that the conventional radial engine construction involves the piston 38 and the crank shaft 3| connected to the piston 38 by the rods 32. The rear end of the shaft 3| is provided with a socket 33 into which bears the forward end of the aligned shaft 34 of the valve driving mechanism generally referred to by numeral 35.

A plate 38 is interposed between the housing 31 and the back wall 25 of the crank case 5 and through this plate 36 is journaled the shafts 38, one of which is provided with a gear 39 meshing with the teeth 40 cut in the shaft 34, thus affording a two-to-one gearing ratio.

A thrust bearing 4| is provided in the rear end of the housing 31 to receive the rear end of the shaft 34, while the intermediate portion of this shaft 34 is journaled through the bearing 42, this bearing 42 being welded or otherwise secured to the plate 36 and provided with an internal lubricant pocket for the shaft 34. The

shaft 34 is also provided with an oil duct 43 for the pressure lubricating system.

Each of the shafts 38 is provided with a gear 44 and all of these gears mesh with the pinion 45, the latter being rotatably mounted on the shaft 34. Thus the crank shaft 3| of the engine drives the shaft 34, and the shaft 34 in turn, by way of the gear 39 and'teeth 40 on the shaft 34, imparts motion to the shaft 38 with a ratio of approximately 2 to 1.

At the forward end of each of the shafts 38 is located a disk 48 from each of which a pin 41 eccentrically projects.

It will be observed now that interposed between these eccentric pins and the drive tube l9 and rod 2| of each of the valve assemblies is a rocker device generally referred to by numeral 48. Each of these rockers 48 consists of a bell crank shaped element involving a pair of L-shaped side members 4949. A spacer sleeve 5|] is interposed between the one pair of adjacent ends of the rocker'and through these ends and the spacer sleeve 50 is disposed the aforementioned and corresponding eccentric pin 41.

It will be observed in Figure 3 that the outermost end of the corresponding valve sleeve driving tube I9 is provided with a head 5| laterally disposed and provided with an opening therein, the head being disposed between the intermediate portion of the side members of the rocker to receive a pivot member 52 which extends through the. rocker at this point.

A block 53 is interposed between the remaining corresponding ends of the rocker side members 49 and rotatably mounted by having its pintles 54-54 journaled into said side members, the block 53 being provided with an opening therein for receiving the laterally disposed end portion 55 of the corresponding piston-like partition valve element drive rod 2|.

As can be clearly seen in Figure 3, each of the valve assemblies has its corresponding rod and tube |9 2| disposed through a guide barrel 56 which projects into the fuel induction conduit 23 a substantial distance from the intake manifold passageway defining partitions 21.

By referring to Figure 3, it can be seen that each of the valve sleeves I5 is provided with packing rings above and below the ports 51 therein. Figure 3 also shows the relative positions of the valve elements of the several cylinders when the top cylinder is at its power cycle of operation. Numbering counter-clockwise, the cylinders fire in the order of cylinders |3524. The approximate positions of the valve assemblies, as shown in Figure 3, are as follows: Cylinder in power cycle position. Cylinder 2 in substantial exhaust or scavenging cycle position. Cylinder 3 sleeve closing for compression cycle. Cylinder 4 terminating the fuel induction cycle, and cylinder 5 with the valve open for fuel induction.

For each valve assembly, the valve rod 2|, due to its peculiar connection with respect to its corresponding bell crank 48, is timed to produce a thrust substantially twice the distance of the valve sleeve thrust, that is, for example, when the piston in a given cylinder is on top dead center, the valve crank is also on top dead center. When the crank moves over from top center, and while the corresponding valve sleeve is practically stationary, the piston-like partition is drawn inwardly below the ports in the valve sleeve, so that when the valve sleeve opens to the combustion chamber, the piston partition has the fuel induction side closed and sealed with its ring, requiring the exhaust gas to pass out through the outer end of the liner |2 to the atmosphere or through an exhaust collector conduit, if the latter should be provided.

As the piston-like partition |1 travels back to the top on the scavenging stroke, the valve crank 48 has reached its bottommost position and as it rocks across bottom center (just as the piston in the engine cylinder reaches top center) it operates the partition |1 through the corresponding rocker 48, resulting in the moving of the piston outwardly beyond the ports 51 in the valve sleeve l6. Thus the exhaust side is closed and sealed with rings, while the fuel induction side is in open position and communicating with the cylinor rocker is rocking across top center and pulling the piston partition inwardly of the ports in the valve shell l6 so that the cyles of the engine will commence to repeat themselves.

Figures 11 and 12 disclose the invention embodied in a cylinders-in-line type internal combustion engine. In such a construction, the head 55 is common for all of the aligned cylinders 65, which extend upwardly from the crank case 6?. The head 55 is provided with a iateraliy disposed protrusion 58 provided at longitudinally spaced intervals with upwardly extending bores for receiving the liners 12, such as have been described hereinbefore in connection with a radial type engine.

Instead of the crank chamber being provided with an annular partition to define an intake manifold passageway, as in the radial type engine, the application of the invention as shown in Fig ure 11, requires a horizontal partition 69 in the crank. case 6? spaced downwardly from the top of the crank case to define a fuel induction manifold passageway 16.

Numeral ll represents the valve shaft having the crank portions 12 to which the rockers, generally referred to by numeral 58, are connected by suitable clamp or sectional bearings 13. The conduits or induction pipes '44 are interposed between the top of the crank case 5? and the valve liners 12 to take care of the supply of fuel in the manner hereinbefore specified. Suitable inlet fixtures iii are provided on the crank case adjacent the manifold passageway 73 and to these can be attached carbureters for handling the fuel input to the engine. Obviously, the parts of the valve operate in the same manner and proceed through the same cycles specified for the radial type engine herein set forth.

While the foregoing specification sets forth the invention in specific terms, it is to be understood that numerous changes in the shape, size and materials may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed hereinafter.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. An internal combustion engine valve mechanism including a valve sleeve and a valve piston operative in the sleeve, drive means for the sleeve and piston, said drive means consisting of a train of reduction gearing off of the engine crank shaft, a bell crank rocker, the final gear of the said reduced gearing being provided with an eccentric pin, said pin being disposed through one end of the rocker, a connection between the said valve sleeve and the intermediate portion of the rocker, and a connection between the said valve piston and the opposite end of the rocker.

2. An internal combustion engine valve mechanism including a valve sleeve and a valve piston operative in the sleeve, drive means for the sleeve and piston, said drive means consisting of a train of reduction gearing off of the engine crank shaft, 2. bell crank rocker, the final gear of the said reduced gearing being provided with an eccentric pin, said pin being disposed through one end of the rocker, a connection between the said valve sleeve and the intermediate portion of the rocker, and a connection between the said valve piston and the opposite end of the rocker, said connection between the valve sleeve and the intermediate portion of the rocker being I tubular for slidably receiving the connection between the piston and the rocker.

3. In combination, a valve assembly consisting of a valve sleeve and a valve piston operative H within the sleeve for controlling the intake and exhaust cycles of an internal combustion engine, a drive for the said valve assembly, said drive consisting in combination with an internal combustion engine crank shaft, 2, gear on the shaft,

an enlarged gear meshing with the gear on the shaft, an eccentrically disposed pin on the larger gear, a bell crank, one end of the bell crank being swingable on the said pin, a connection between the valve sleeve and the intermediate portion of 4. In an internal combustion engine, a cylinder having a common intake and exhaust port, a

fuel supply line, and a valve assembly interposed between the port and the fuel supply line, said valve assembly consisting of a reciprocating ported sleeve and a slidable partition therein, the former adapted to shut off the port at high cylinder pressures and the partition being operative to control the exhaust or the fuel induction through the sleeve when the latter is in open position, a single crank for operating said members, and an L-shaped rocker connecting said members to said crank, whereby the movement imparted to said partition is substantially twice as great as that imparted to the sleeve.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4 including a tubular connection between the rocker and said sleeve, and a connecting rod slidably disposed within said tubular member between said rocker and said partition, said partition being adjustable on said connecting rod.

BYRD L. EDDS. 

